Safety
Earthquake and tsunami awareness while traveling
Travelers in Türkiye, Japan, Indonesia, Chile, and other seismic zones should know local alert systems and coastal evacuation routes — tsunami follow earthquakes near ocean trenches. Register for embassy alerts, learn your hotel's assembly point, and note high ground inland from beach resorts. This page is awareness only; in shaking or sirens, follow local authorities immediately.
Not for: Emergency training — follow local civil defence and hotel staff instructions.
Last updated 2026-08-05
Before the trip
- Check if destination has tsunami evacuation maps — coastal cities publish them.
- Know whether your hotel is in a inundation zone — ask when booking.
- Enable phone emergency alerts if the country supports tourist SIMs.
- Travel insurance covers evacuation — read earthquake exclusions.
During an earthquake
Drop, cover, hold indoors away from windows; do not run outside during shaking in dense cities. After shaking stops, use stairs not lifts. Expect aftershocks. Follow official guidance — building standards and local drill culture differ.
Tsunami risk
Strong coastal quake or official siren means move inland or to marked high ground immediately — do not wait to see the wave. Beach and island hopping trips need an exit plan. See reading travel advisories and monsoon planning for related seasonal risks.
Before you book
Planning guidance only — not medical or emergency-response training. Follow local authorities and emergency services in a crisis. Planning guidance only — not legal, visa, or immigration advice. Rules change; verify on official government websites before you book or travel.
More safety guides
Common tourist scams and how to avoid them
Most tourist scams reuse a handful of patterns: unlicensed transport, “free” gifts that become payment demands, fake officials, wrong change, and distraction thefts. Recognize the setup, decline without debating, and use official ranks, apps, or prepaid bookings instead of accepting help from strangers in arrival halls.
Emergency numbers abroad
Before you land, save your destination's emergency numbers — police, ambulance, fire — and your embassy or consulate contact. EU countries use 112 in many states; elsewhere numbers differ (911 Americas, 999 UK, 155 Türkiye police, 113 Vietnam police — verify locally). Add them to your phone offline; do not rely on data in a crisis.
How to read travel advisories
Government travel advisories (US State Dept, UK FCDO, Australia Smartraveller, etc.) rank countries and regions by risk — terrorism, crime, health outbreaks, natural disasters. They are conservative by design; level 2 “exercise increased caution” is common for major tourist destinations. Read the detail pages for specific regions, not just the headline color map, and check update dates.
Lost or stolen passport abroad
If your passport is lost or stolen abroad, file a police report, contact your embassy or consulate immediately, and apply for an emergency travel document — do not wait until the airport. Carry photocopies and digital backups separately from the original, and list your policy number if travel insurance covers document replacement.
Vacation rental scam red flags
Vacation rental scams copy real photos, list apartments that do not exist, or push you off-platform where you lose payment protection. Book inside established platforms until check-in, verify reviews across dates, and refuse wire transfers or crypto. If the price is half market rate in peak season, assume fraud until proven otherwise.
What to do if you are robbed abroad
If you are robbed abroad, get to a safe public place first — your safety beats recovering belongings. Report to local police for the case number insurers and embassies expect, freeze cards immediately via app, and replace passport through your consulate if taken. Most thefts are property-only; cooperate rather than fight.
Apply this on your trip
Planning guidance only — not legal, medical, or booking advice. Verify entry rules, insurance terms, and prices on official or partner sites before you travel.